DID YOU KNOW (Sunday, July 30, 2023)

St. Augustine was impressed by a fifth-century procession of gifts in Rome in which the faithful brought from their own homes things from their kitchen tables. Augustine called this an “admirable exchange” — for their gifts God gave back Jesus. A prayer over the gifts used in some Church traditions uses Augustine’s language: “Lord, receive our gifts in this wonderful exchange: from all you have given us we bring you these gifts, and in return, you give us yourself.”